For City Council Meeting [November 9, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Marcus Fuller, City Manager
FROM: Brian Park, Acting Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council to Receive an Update on and Confirm the Continued Existence of and Provide any Further Direction in Relation to the Local Emergency Throughout the City of Rialto in Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak.
(ACTION)
Body
BACKGROUND
On March 12, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution 7600 declaring a local emergency in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In the action staff indicated that the item would be brought back to the City Council for updates at each City Council meeting for the duration of the local emergency. The City Council received an update on and approved continuation of the local emergency at each City Council meeting since the adoption of the resolution. Since the City’s declaration of a local emergency and actions on March 16, 2020, there have been significant directives from the State of California and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health. All of those orders were resolved on June 15, 2021, as the State of California began a process to roll back all Emergency Orders and effectively reopened the state to all sectors without COVID-19 restrictions for those persons that are fully vaccinated. There have been significant changes in the impact of COVID-19 on the community since State’s rollback of specific COVID-19 protections.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in San Bernardino County is the lowest it has been since July 27, state figures released Tuesday, Oct. 12, show. As of Monday, Oct. 11, there were 248 patients in county hospitals battling the disease and 79 were in intensive care units. Hospitalization numbers always reflect the previous day.
Masks
Under the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) order on June 15, 2021:
Masks are required for all individuals in the following indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status:
• On public transit (examples: airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis, and ride-shares) and in transportation hubs (examples: airport, bus terminal, marina, train station, seaport or other port, subway station, or any other area that provides transportation)
• Indoors in K-12 schools and childcare
• Emergency shelters and cooling centers
Masks are required for all individuals, in the following indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status (and surgical masks are recommended):
• Healthcare settings
• State and local correctional facilities and detention centers
• Homeless shelters
• Long Term Care Settings & Adult and Senior Care Facilities
Additionally, masks are required for unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses (examples: retail, restaurants, theaters, family entertainment centers, meetings, state and local government offices serving the public).
On July 27, 2021, the CDC added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. On July 28, 2021, the CDPH added a recommendation in the mask requirements for universal masking indoors statewide regardless of vaccination status. Some jurisdictions, including Los Angeles County, and businesses have reinstituted indoor mask mandates.
On August 10, 2021 the City Council ratified the City Manager’s Emergency Proclamation requiring that all persons, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks while inside City facilities (using established exceptions that allow for unmasking on specified conditions like being alone in an enclosed room).
Vaccinations
Vaccination rates in the City of Rialto have increased from approximately 45% on June 15, 2021, to 64.2% fully vaccinated as of data shown on the San Bernardino County COVID dashboard on October 28, 2021. Another 8.1% of Rialto residents are partially vaccinated (first dose) for a total of 72.2% with full or partial vaccination.
The most granular level of geospatial vaccination information available is at the zip code level. There are three primary zip codes that cover the majority of the City of Rialto although portions of the central City are covered by Fontana and San Bernardino zip codes and the zip code for the southern portion of the City includes the majority of unincorporated Bloomington.
These three zip codes do show variation in vaccinated population rates for those 12 years of age and older (as of data on San Bernardino County COVID dashboard on September 16, 2021):
Fully Vaccinated Any Vaccination
92316 (South of I-10): 62.1% 69.9%
92376 (Central Rialto): 62.2% 70.4%
92377 (North of SR-210): 65.6% 72.8%
*Any vaccination rate includes those with a partial (first dose)
The vaccination rates in all of San Bernardino County as of September 16, 2021, were:
Fully Vaccinated Any Vaccination
San Bernardino County: 59.2% 65.9%
Rialto’s vaccination rates exceed these rates.
It has been reported that 99.5% or more of all COVID-19 deaths reported in California since June 15, 2021, have come from unvaccinated persons. Vaccination reduces individual risk and the collective community risk. Vaccination rates in the City of Rialto exceed the county average and continue to rise weekly and is projected to reach a benchmark of fully immunized Rialto residents of 70% by Thanksgiving.
Booster Shoots
There have been over 500 pop-up vaccination locations in the County of San Bernardino and there are over 30 locations in Rialto that provide vaccinations, including booster shots. The FDA continues to approve additional manufacturers for booster shots, additional age and risk groups and there is anticipation for authorization of an antiviral pill for treating COVID-19.
Continuing Safety Precautions
Masks have been proven as an effective measure to help reduce transmission of COVID-19. Social/Physical distancing practices have been proven effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. In conjunction with the mask order, the City has reestablished the six-foot spacing for employees and visitors inside City facilities and is implementing the social distancing practices already utilized at City Council meetings for all in-person meeting in City facilities. The City will continue to require COVID-19 surveillance of all persons entering City facilities beyond lobby areas or remaining in City facilities for greater than 10 minutes.
Events, Facilities and Programing Impacts
The community services department will begin coordinating the reopening of indoor programs and city facility usage that will include but not be limited to the following safeguards, as recommended by the CDC:
Engineering controls: Isolate workers from the hazard
• Modify and adjust tables, chairs and workstations to maintain social distancing of 6 feet between employees, visitors and citizens, where possible.
• Install transparent shields or other physical barriers where possible to separate employees and visitors where social distancing is not an option.
• Staff will wear face coverings at all times when running programming or events.
• Arrange chairs in reception or other communal seating areas by turning, draping (covering chair with tape or fabric so seats cannot be used), spacing, or removing chairs to maintain social distancing.
• Use methods to physically separate employees in all areas of the building, including work areas and other areas such as meeting rooms, break rooms, parking lots, entrance and exit areas, and locker rooms.
• Use signs, tape marks, or other visual cues such as decals or colored tape on the floor, placed 6 feet apart, to show where to stand when physical barriers are not possible.
• Replace high-touch communal items, such as coffee pots and bulk snacks, with alternatives such as pre-packaged, single-serving items. Encourage staff to bring their own water to minimize use and touching of water fountains or consider installing no-touch activation methods for water fountains. Staff will sanitize programming space before and after programs, events, and rentals.
Programs Restoration Plan:
• Tiny Tot and Day Care Programs at multiple locations
• Senior Nutrition programs and meal services
• Senior Dances and Events
• Facility Rentals
• Youth sports and programming in the Basketball Gym
• Indoor contract classes
• Teen Center
• Sauna, Spa, and racquetball courts via reservation system for limited time blocks
• Playhouse operations
NOTE: restoration of programming in the gym will cause the county to end COVID-19 services at the Rialto Community Center. The County’s current footprint uses the Gym for COVID-19 testing, the 200 building for COVID-19 Vaccinations, and the Frances Brooks Building for County break/lunch area. City Council has recommended using a smaller footprint to have county continue to provide services using other facilities so that Community Services programming can begin to be restored for our residents to benefit from. County operations can continue to be offered at the weekly Farmers Market.
The County is currently also providing the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination at the following locations:
Bloomington - Ayala Park Community Center
18313 Valley Blvd., Bloomington
Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Beginning Tuesday, September 28, this site will operate Tuesday - Saturday
Fontana - Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center
15556 Summit Ave., Fontana
Monday - Saturday from Noon - 8 p.m.
Beginning Monday, September 27, this site will operate Monday - Friday
Rancho Cucamonga - RC Sports Center
8303 Rochester Ave., Rancho Cucamonga
Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Beginning Tuesday, September 28, this site will operate Tuesday - Saturday
Yucaipa - Yucaipa Senior Center
12202 First St., Yucaipa
Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Beginning Tuesday, September 28, this site will operate Tuesday - Saturday
Staff will collaborate with the County to reduce the size of the footprint at the Rialto Community center so that a balance can be reached with continuing to provide local residents with COVID-19 services and also restoring recreation services and programming. In addition, the Community Services Department will continue collaborating with organizations such as IEHP and other health organizations to continue to provide COVID-19 vaccinations at City Wide planned special events and other special programming to provide COVID-19 vaccination and testing opportunities for those in attendance.
Continue the Local Emergency
There are still significant impacts on our community, our businesses and to our City services. As such, a local emergency still exists in Rialto in response to COVID-19.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The requested City Council action is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The requested action is consistent with General Plan goals 5.7 “Maintain a high level of emergency response capability” and 5.8 “Provide effective and comprehensive policing services that meet the safety needs of Rialto.”
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
The financial impact of the local emergency remains unknown at this time. Expenditures related to the event to date have been accomplished within existing purchase orders and the City Manager’s authority and have been attributed as an event expenditure.
Any additional expenditures using the Director of Emergency Services authority under the local emergency will be presented in subsequent reports to the City Council for the duration of the local emergency.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
This report does not impact the Operating Budget.
Licensing
This action does not require a business license.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council receive an update on, confirm the continued existence of, and provide any further direction in relation to the Local Emergency throughout the City of Rialto in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.